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MOSCOW, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Russia is engaged in fierce battles against thousands of Ukrainian troops who have advanced up to 20 km (12 miles) inside the Kursk region, following Ukraine’s largest attack on Russian territory since the war began in 2022.
Early on Tuesday, Ukrainian forces breached the Russian border and rapidly pushed through parts of Western Russia’s Kursk region. This unexpected assault, supported by drones and heavy artillery, may be aimed at gaining leverage in potential ceasefire negotiations following the upcoming U.S. election.
Russian defense officials reported that intense fighting is concentrated around Malaya Loknya, Olgovka, and Ivashkovskoye, settlements located 10-20 km inside Russian territory. In response to the gravity of the situation, Russia has imposed a comprehensive security regime across three border regions, while Belarus claims to have repelled a major drone attack from Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin condemned the Ukrainian incursion as a serious provocation. Despite Russian General Valery Gerasimov’s announcement that the Ukrainian advance had been halted, Ukrainian forces have not yet been pushed back across the border.
The Ukrainian offensive has raised concerns in Moscow about the ease with which Ukrainian forces penetrated the Kursk region after more than two years of intense conflict. Military bloggers in Russia have acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, crediting Russian aviation with preventing a deeper Ukrainian incursion.
The battles come at a crucial moment in the war, as Kyiv is concerned that U.S. support could wane if Republican Donald Trump wins the November presidential election. Both Russia and Ukraine are seeking to secure the strongest possible position on the battlefield ahead of any potential negotiations.
While Ukraine has not officially commented on the attack, video footage circulating on Ukrainian media allegedly shows Ukrainian soldiers controlling a gas facility in the border town of Sudzha, where Russian natural gas flows into Ukraine for transit to Europe. Reports from Russian sources suggest Ukraine has taken control of parts of Sudzha, though gas is still flowing through the pipeline.
In response to the incursion, Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), has implemented an anti-terrorist regime across the Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions, granting security forces sweeping powers. Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from the Kursk region.
There are concerns that Ukrainian forces may be advancing towards the Kursk nuclear power station, which plays a crucial role in supplying electricity to southern Russia. The station is currently operating normally, despite reports of drone debris falling on a nearby power substation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called for restraint due to the “significant military activity” in the area. Russian diplomats have informed the IAEA about the discovery of missile fragments, though there is no evidence of an attack on the nuclear station.
